Shoe bottom filler



July 26, 1938. H. G. HALLORAN SHOE BOTTOM FILLER Filed Aug. 23, 1937 Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES* PATENT OFFICE SHOE BOTTOM FILLER Henry G. Halloran, Mattapan, Boston, Mass.

Application August 23,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to bottom fillers for footwear to fill the cavity between the innersole and outersole of welt shs, and the lcorresponding cavities in other types of footwear. A principal object of the invention is to provide a bottom ller, that while providing all necessary ilexibility in the shoe tread for normal lengthwise ilexing in walking, at the same time providing an adel quate degree of stiifness and rigidity transversely of the sole to prevent spreading, and preserve the shape of the shoe. The bottom illler of the invention comprises a sheet of material that may be either metal or suitable composition, that is Y uted, corrugated, or ribbed transversely thereof, the character of the sheet and of the transverse fluting being such as to permit the sheet to flex readily lengthwise as required in walking while providing a requisite degree of stiffness and strength transversely to keep the sole in shape. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the fluted sheet may be extended rearwardly over the locality of the shank with other flutings in that portion thereof, adapted to provide a shank reinforce.

The foregoing and other objects, and advantages, of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the distinctive features of novelty will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation with portions broken away showing the bottom of a shoe equipped with my invention;

Figure 2 is a central lengthwise vertical section on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the uted ller sheet removed;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section on an en- 45 larged scale of the left hand portion of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing a modiied form of corrugated or fluted ller sheet;

Figure 8 is a similar fragmentary perspective 50 showing a further modified form oi' iller sheet embodying the invention; and,

Figure 9 is an elevation on a smaller scale showing a luted ller sheet of the invention without the shank reinforce extension.

O indicates the outersole, and I denotes` the v1937, Serial No. 160,536

innersole of a usual welt shoe assembled with the welt W by means of the usual stitching to secure the upper U thereto.

In accordance with my invention, a filler piece comprising a sheet Il) is cut or died out of a 5 shape to lit as closely as may be, into the cavity C between the innersole and the outersole. This sheet is corrugated, iluted, or ribbed transversely thereof, as indicated at Ilia, and rearwardly to near the locality of the instep as indicated at in lob. In the form shown in` Figures 1 and 5, a rearward extension ilic of the iiller sheet extended over the locality of the shank is fiuted -or ribbed longitudinally as indicated at lod to provide lengthwise Stiifness and rigidity as l5 requisite for a shank support. By producing the ,filler piece complete including its rearward extension Ille in one piece not only is economy eiected in producingthe same since, of course. it can be stamped out as a unit, and also quickly 20 and easily tted in the cavity C of the shoe, but in the complete filler piece thus provided, the forward part Illa and the rearward part illc are mutually cooperative to prevent any shifting of the filler piece in the shoe cavity. 'Ihe filler 25 sheet i0 may be produced either of thin metal, such as aluminum, or it may be made of suitable composition such as water-proof press-board, cotton bats saturated with celluloid solution that may be made from celluloid waste, or any other 30 suitable composition providing a sheet having the requisite flexible4 quality for lengthwise flexing while providing with its fiuting, the necessary stii'ness and strength against bending or distortion transversely. When the sheet is made of composition, the material with which it is saturated is preferably of a character to render it substantially waterproof. The flutings, or corrugations in the sheet may be of varying forms Within the contemplation of the invention. When 40 ordinary corrugations are employed, as seen in Figure 5, the corrugated surfaces are preferably embedded in flexible and Inoldable filling material which may be of usual or suitable make-up, this filling material as best seen in Figure 6, iilling the openings in the ilutings, and the excess being owed or molded around the peripheral edges of the uted ller sheet when the sh is leveled out as indicated at ila.

In Figure '1, I show a form of illler sheet l2, 50 having inverted V-shaped ilutings im,` which provides substantial flat-lying areas i2b, i2c, at the opposite sides of the sheet, this reducing the amount of plastic filler material that is used with the sheet, and making the entire ller lighter in weight, with more or less open spaces therein.

In Figure 8, I show a form wherein the illler sheet I3 is formed with folds Ia pressed closely against one another and sloping somewhat endwise, this providing a substantially continuous filler body not requiring any appreciable amount of moldable illler substance except as may be required around the edges of the sheet. The fluted filler sheet Il, seen in Figure 9, is substantially similar to that shown in Figure 5, except that it terminates at the locality of the instep as indicated at ila, and thus does not provide for reinforcing the shank.

'I'he described fluted filler sheet is of value and advantage, not only in providing the requisite firmness transversely of the tread while allowing the necessary flexibility lengthwise thereof but it also aids in making the sole waterproof and stone proof. In lthe use of soft rubber or like soles, it prevents spreading and keeps the shoe from losing its shape. By keeping the shoe fiat on the bottom, it makes the shoe more comfortable in use and gives it longer life. By giving strength and firmness to the innersole,.it permits the use of less expensive material for innersoles. Further, in the forms shown in Figures l and 5, by combining the transverse sole stiffener member and the shank reinforce in one piece, a material saving in time required for assembling the parts is effected.

VAs hereinbe'fore noted. the transverse corrugations or ilutings of the ller sheet may be embodied in many different forms, and I do not desire to be limited to any particular form thereof. In this, as Well as other respects the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe bottom filler comprising a sheet shaped to llt the cavity between the inner sole and the outer sole of the shoe, formed with transverse flutings in its forward portion adapted to provide transverse stiiness while preserving lengthwise flexibility, and having a rearward extension corrugated lengthwise and providing a shank reinforce.

2. A shoe bottom iller comprising a sheet shaped to fit the cavity between the inner sole and the outer sole of a shoe, and formed with transverse flutings pressed closely together to form a substantially continuous body, adapted to provide transverse stiil'ness while preserving lengthwise flexibility thereof.

3. A shoe bottom filler as set forth in claim 2 wherein the filler sheet has a rearward extension over the shank area of the shoe corrugated lengthwise to provide a shank reinforce.

HENRY G. HALLORAN. 

